For as long as a generation can remember, Denver has been John Elway’s town.

But the town is growing and changing. And so are the times.

Very few human beings, athletes or otherwise, have even come close to dethroning the king adorned with the number seven.

But, for the first time in a long time, there is a legitimate challenge for the title of the all-time face of Denver sports.

Let’s be clear: superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado will need to earn and play out his newly-christened eight-year, $260 million contract with the Colorado Rockies in order to make this challenge serious and the baseball club will need to win more games in October.

But now, the possibility of crowing a new king is no longer absurd.

Arenado, still 27 years old, has already separated himself from the pack as one of the best players in Rockies’ history, though he still chases at least Todd Helton and Larry Walker for the top spot in his own sport.

At the moment, he is on pace to smash their records. For example, if Arenado maintains his home run pace, he can catch and maybe pass Carlos Gonzalez for fourth place on the franchise homer rankings next year. By the following season, he should be in the neighborhood of Walker in second place with 258.

If he averages 30 home runs a season – he has averaged 39.5 over his last four seasons – during the course of his full extension, he will fly by Helton’s franchise mark of 369 homers for a gaudy number at 426.

Other than stolen bases, he is set to do surpass those ahead of him in just about every offensive category. That’s in addition to the potential of being considered the consensus as the greatest defensive player at the position.

When you put this all together with an understanding of the power and impact of having consistently quality 162-game seasons of baseball, you get a player who could become an icon in a city, needing only a single championship to put his name on the Mt. Rushmore of Denver sports.

Like Elway, Arenado has the chance to transform an entire franchise. This deal already becomes the go-to response for every tired argument that the Rockies aren’t invested in winning.

As of the writing of this article, the highest paid player in baseball dons purple pinstripes.

Colorado Rockies: market trendsetters.

They’ve set a new standard not only for themselves but for how superstars in the game ought to be treated. Arenado is finally – and rightfully so – being recognized as arguably the best all-around player in the game… as if the six Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers weren’t a pretty solid hint.

This can also put to rest the talk of the Rockies as an afterthought in almost every regard (including as potential landing spots for their own best player) and all the negativity that comes during a season with a wide-sweeping assumption that your most elite talent would rather be somewhere else.

The King of Clutch has also made a habit of showing up the biggest when it matters most, another clear parallel to No. 7.

The next step is, of course, finding a way to win the that one championship. Same as it was for Elway.

And who knows, maybe one day the front range with be littered with Arenado-owned car dealerships and steakhouses.

There is so much clarity for Colorado where a few days ago there were mostly questions. Now, Arenado and manager Bud Black will be around for the projectable future, and Charlie Blackmon is another centerpiece who already received his sizable deal a year ago.

With their unquestioned leader, the Rockies can enter the 2019 season without having to answer constant questions or dealing with speculation about Arenado leaving on the sour note of like a recent pair of fan favorites in Adam Ottavino and DJ LeMahieu.

Colorado can feel good about the present and future, especially if the next step is to look at keeping around Trevor Story or hometown hero Kyle Freeland a while longer.

These are the brewing elements of long term contention.

If Arenado takes care of himself, stays on the field, and doesn’t experience some sharp decline – thus, following in the footsteps of his idol Adrian Beltre – he will be a Hall of Famer and comfortably the best Rockies player of all time.

Throw in a few pennants and rings, he’s in Elway-land. If he does more than that, if he truly and forever transforms Denver into the baseball town it was always meant to be, he could go down in history as the greatest Colorado athlete of all time.

It will always be a John Elway town. But it’s about to be Nolan Arenado’s city.